The _Catspaw_ rolled and
wallowed and the watchers at the bow soon knew from the sound of the
straining cables that the cruisers were having difficulty. Bert crawled
forward through the darkness and spray and joined them.
"Joe says they'll be signalling to cast off the hawsers pretty quick,"
he bellowed above the wind and waves. "He says we aren't making any
headway at all now."
"Gee, it'll be fine to be left pitching around here all night," said
Perry alarmedly. "If we only had an anchor--"
"I'd rather keep on drifting," said Han. "It'll be a lot more
comfortable."
"Maybe, but we'll be going out to sea again. Seems to me they might keep
hold of us even if they don't get along much." Perry ducked before the
hissing avalanche of spray that was flung across the deck. "There's one
thing certain," he added despondently. "We've got to stay on this old
turtle as long as she'll let us, for we couldn't get that dingey off now
if we tried!"
"What's the difference?" asked Han. "They'll stick around us until the
wind goes down again, and we're just as well off here as they are on
the boats. Bet you the _Adventurer_ is doing some pitching herself about
now!"
They relapsed into silence then, for making one's self heard above the
clamour of wind and water and the groans and creakings of the schooner
was hard work.
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